Dire Destiny of Ours (20 page)

"He is on his way to see me." Ketiss made a disgruntled noise. "Apparently, he discovered we are mobilizing and wants to dissuade us from going to Eden."

"Where are you?" I asked.

"We are in the plaza outside the building you're in, Destroyer." Ketiss cleared his throat. "We should be ready to go within two hours."

"Do you know a healer named Pross?" I asked.

"Yes, that is Minister Cephus's personal healer."

"Where does she work?"

Ketiss made a disapproving grunt. "She works for the Ministry of Research. Flava can show you where it is." He paused. "May I ask why?"

"It's nothing important," I said. "When will Cephus be here?"

"Perhaps thirty minutes," Ketiss said.

"I'm going to visit Pross." I took a deep breath to ward off more pain as thoughts of Nightliss intruded. "Don't tell Cephus, and keep him here until I return."

"As you command, Destroyer."

I nodded at Flava.

She ended the communication. "Why are we going to see Pross?"

I decided to use Nightliss's real name. Flava would find out sooner or later. I'd just have to convince them not to sacrifice my friend. "Pross was supposed to return to Eden with a friend who came here with me so she could heal someone very dear to my heart."

"I was not aware of that." Flava said. "Do you believe Pross did not return to Eden?"

I nodded. "I think she kidnapped my friend. Her name is Nightliss."

Flava's right eye twitched. "Your friend is named after the betrayer who caused the Schism?"

"She is the original Nightliss."

Her eyes flared. "Have you brought her here for us to sacrifice?"

"Absolutely not." I gripped her shoulders. "Nightliss was not the cause of the Schism. The Brightlings spread lies about her because she fought against them. The Brightlings themselves caused the Schism."

Judging from the look in Flava's eyes, she was having a hard time processing this. She took a deep breath. "You are the servant of the Primogenitor. If you say Nightliss is not to blame, I believe you."

Thank goodness the Destroyer has street creds.
With that out of the way, I switched back to the troubling topic at hand. "Because Cephus lied to me from the start, I believe Pross never went to Eden with Nightliss. Either my friend is dead or Pross is holding her somewhere." My thoughts kept ricocheting between Elyssa and Nightliss. "Pross and Nightliss were supposed to go back to Eden to heal my love, Elyssa." Hot tears burned my eyes. I wiped them away and gripped Flava by the shoulders. "Can you heal her?"

She flinched. "Your love?"

"Elyssa is my heart."

A troubled look crossed Flava's face. "How severe are her injuries?"

After a few deep breaths, I was able to explain the situation. I let go of her and backed off. "Can you do it?"

"I think so, Justin." She looked down. "I have healed many terrible wounds during my time on the front lines. I will do my best."

I allowed a tiny bit of relief to warm the icy despair in the pit of my stomach. Even though it felt like I'd been trapped in Seraphina for weeks, I'd only just arrived yesterday. Elyssa still had time.
But what about Nightliss?
With a name like Ministry of Research, I didn't dare think what kind of horrors they could've committed on her.

"Let's go." I ran out to the balcony and spotted a small cloudlet with two soldiers on it. "You two, come here."

They stiffened and directed their ride to the balcony at once.

I motioned them off. "Flava and I must attend something important. We'll be back soon."

"As you command, Destroyer." The soldiers clapped twice and bowed.

I grabbed Flava's hand and pulled her after me to the cloudbank. "Take us where we need to go."

"Yes, Justin." She directed her gaze to the right and the cloudbank moved in that direction. It picked up speed until we were moving at a decent clip, though nowhere near the speed I'd managed on Templar flying carpets.

"Can it go any faster?"

She shook her head. "The skyway might move faster, but it would take us by a more indirect route." Flava pointed to wide domed structure barely visible behind the taller buildings in front of it. "That is our destination."

"Will we be able to walk right in?"

She glanced back at me. "You are the Destroyer."

I waited for further explanation, but apparently, being Mr. Destroyer gave me all the authority I needed to go anywhere. A few minutes later, Flava landed the cloudbank just outside a security perimeter similar to the one around the other ministry buildings. I walked up to the sentries. A symbol on their uniforms caught my attention. It looked like a white circle around a black void.

I addressed them. "Do you know who I am?"

The two seraphs exchanged glances. "Yes, Destroyer," the one on the left replied. "How may we serve?"

"I need to see Pross."

"Of course." The guard made as if to touch the gem on his chest.

I grabbed his wrist to stop him. "This is a surprise inspection." I motioned toward the building. "Why don't you two lead me inside?"

The two guards seemed extremely uneasy with this suggestion, but nodded.

"As you command, Destroyer." The left guard said.

They entered the security field. I followed them in, but it didn't sound an alarm. I wondered if they'd modified it to recognize me somehow. Many other guards patrolled the grounds. All of them wore the symbols on their uniforms. I put my curiosity about them on hold and entered the building behind the seraphs. They guided me to a holographic three-dimensional map of the building, including several stories below ground.

"Locate Healer Pross," the first guard said.

A light blinked in one of the sub-basements labeled
Restricted Access.

My stomach lurched at the confirmation that she was still indeed in Seraphina. "How do I get there?" I asked.

"Sir, perhaps it would be best if I call her up here," the second guard said. "We don't have the clearance to enter those levels."

Despite eagerness to tear my way through this place, I kept my voice calm. "Who does?"

He turned back to the map and said, "Locate Neemah." An icon glowed on our level. The guard tapped his gem. "Neemah, please report to the lobby."

Someone sighed on the other end. "Coming."

A portly angel, something of a rarity, judging from what I'd seen, appeared from a nearby corridor a few minutes later. With gray hair and ample wrinkles on his face, he was obviously quite old. His eyes widened when he saw us, but he quickly covered his surprise. "How may I help you, Destroyer?"

It seemed I was more famous than I wanted to be. I turned to the guards. "You may leave now."

They each clapped their hands twice and bowed before turning and exiting the buildings.

"I want to see Pross," I told the seraph.

"She, um, is indisposed at the moment," he stuttered. "Let me notify her of your presence—"

"No." I slashed my hand to stop him right there." I pointed to her blip on the map. "Take me to her now. This is a matter of utmost importance."

Flava pulled me aside and spoke in a low whisper. "Justin, what if they capture you too?"

"Go to Ketiss. Tell him to prepare a rescue in case I don't return."

She shook her head. "I won't let you go alone. Let me notify him."

I saw Neemah reaching for a red gem on his sleeve and gripped his hand. "Don't even try it."

"I was merely scratching my arm, Destroyer." He quickly withdrew his hand. I pulled the gem from his sleeve and took another from his collar.

Flava touched my arm. In a low voice she said, "Ketiss is on the way with troops. He will be on standby in case something happens." She gave me a worried look. "I hope it does not come to that."

I could only nod. "Take us to her now," I said to Neemah in my most commanding voice.

"Y-yes, Destroyer." He led us to a levitator shaft and pointed to a gem on the wall. "You must use my authentication gem and ask it to take us to sublevel five."

I held it near the gem and willed it to take us there. We descended quickly past several levels and stopped at a long, black corridor.

I motioned him forward with my hand. "Lead the way."

We walked down the long hall. Rooms shielded by ultraviolet Murk lined the passage every twenty feet or so. Most had Seraphim inside. Some stared blankly into space. Others were shackled to wicked-looking chairs and other contraptions. I noticed placards on the walls outside the cells with notations in Cyrinthian. Thanks to the translation spell, I was able to read them.

Subject responded poorly to concentrated aether injections. No increased strength or abilities noted. Large tumors have formed in the body cavity and brain. Projected outcome: death.

I passed several more placards, each one with similar notations of whatever horrific experiments they were carrying on down here.

We took a left and came to what looked like a dead end with a gem on the wall.

"You must use my authentication gem on the wall," Neemah said.

Suspicion crept into my belly. I gave the seraph a long hard look. "This had better not trigger an alarm."

He shook his head and waved his hands. "I assure you, Destroyer, it will not."

I did as he'd said and the wall misted away to reveal a large, white room. Rage boiled in my veins at the sight it revealed: Nightliss strapped to a metal chair. A large orb attached to a metallic arm hung over her head. Murk and Brilliance arced from the device and into an ultraviolet band around her head. Her eyes stared blankly. Spasms shook her body at each charge of energy.

Nightliss looked as if she were almost dead.

Pross stood in front of her facing away from us. "The subject's strength is related to the mingling of unknown soul essence with aether. Attempts to extract this energy have failed. I'm hopeful—"

I didn't give her the chance to finish that sentence. Blurring across the room, I gripped her by the back of her neck and lifted her from the floor. A roar ripped from my throat. "What have you done to her, you bitch?"

Pross screeched. Her feet flailed uselessly. She tried to touch a gem on her sleeve, but I ripped it off savagely and threw it across the room.

I slammed her feet to the floor and spun her around so she could see me. I felt the sting of demon horns growing from my forehead and let the fires of Haedaemos burn in my eyes. "Release her at once."

The healer made a whimpering sound and liquid soaked her crotch. "Please don't kill me."

My voice deep and guttural I repeated my last sentence. "Release Nightliss."

I heard a scuffle as Neemah made a break for it. I held out my arm and slammed him in the back with a blast of Murk. It sent him skidding bonelessly across the floor. He twitched once and lay still.

I turned back to Pross. "Must I repeat myself?"

Tears poured down her face. She spoke in a strangled voice. "Use my gem on the straps."

Flava ran to the gem, picked it up, and ran them across the straps holding Nightliss. They parted at once. Flava pressed her hands to the small, still form. "She is very weak."

"Can you heal her?"

She nodded. "It will take several minutes." Flava took Nightliss's head in her hands. A soothing ultraviolet glow surrounded her.

Pross sucked in a harsh breath. "How did you know?"

I bared my teeth. "I discovered Cephus's betrayal. I know he tried to have me killed. He must have thought it the perfect opportunity to take control of the Trivectus with Uoriss and Thala dead."

"I meant Nightliss no harm." Pross tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I simply wanted—"

Rage erupted like an inferno in my chest. "Every step I took down the hallway leading here made it perfectly clear what you want. I may be the Destroyer, but you and Cephus are monsters." My demon surged to life. Before I even knew what I was doing, my hand clenched tight. I heard bones break and felt her windpipe crush in my grasp.